President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to donate $3 million
to the new humanitarian agency set up by the African Union (AU).
The president attended the AU meeting in Malabo, Equatorial
Guinea, on May 26.
The summits tagged ‘extraordinary humanitarian summit and
pledging conference’, as well as the ‘extraordinary summit on unconstitutional
changes of government in Africa’, was held from May 25 to 28.
According to a statement by Garba Shehu, presidential
spokesperson, Buhari, in his remarks at the 16th African Union extraordinary
session, said more than five million people have been displaced in the Lake
Chad region, with 70 percent of them mostly Nigerians.
The president said in tackling this menace, his
administration created the ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster
management and social development, to respond to the growing issues relating to
displaced persons.
“This is in line with the Kampala convention for the
protection and assistance of internally displaced persons. I am glad to inform your excellencies that
the ministry of humanitarian affairs of Nigeria has continued to live up to its
mandate in responding quickly to all situations of displaced persons and
disaster management,” he said.
Commenting on the establishment of the new humanitarian
agency by the AU, Buhari said the development will help Africa to effectively
coordinate and respond to crises on the continent.
The president pledged to donate $3 million for the
commencement of operations at the newly-created African Union humanitarian
agency.
He also called the attention of the union to rising global
warming issues across the world, adding that Africa needs to focus on
preserving its aquatic and ecological systems.
“We cannot deny the fact that we have a very dangerous
humanitarian crisis in our hands,” he said.
“The rationale for the establishment of this agency is to
forge a common African position on humanitarian effectiveness and to create an
appropriate continental architecture to effectively respond and coordinate
humanitarian crises on the continent.
“You will agree that this conference could not have come at
a better time, considering the challenges posed by the increasing rate of
Internally Displaced Persons, Refugees and Returning Migrants, to our various
countries and the continent at large.
“As you are aware, mr. Chairperson, the world is confronted
by emerging threats, such as climate change, resulting in global warming,
rising levels in waters, in some climes shrinking of rivers and lakes.
“All these lead to distortions in our aquatic and
consequently ecological systems.
Conflicts, violent extremism and terrorist attacks, including
herdsmen-farmers clashes and banditry lead to the displacement of whole
communities, thus rendering thousands of people homeless.”
Macky Sall, president of Senegal and AU chairman, also
pledged $3 million on behalf of his country and asked other African leaders to
contribute to the establishment of the agency.
Teodoro Mbasogo,
president of Equatorial Guinea, who hosted the summits, also promised the sum
of $4 million. He said half of the money will go to the agency, while the other
half will go to Mozambique.
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